Patients Prefer Iohexol Contrast Over Diatrozoate

February 28, 2010 - Patients expressed a statistically significant preference for the taste of iohexol over diatrozoate, a feature that is especially beneficial for very ill patients whom have trouble tolerating the taste of contrast agents, concluded a recent study.

Researchers from Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology at the Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri and the Milton S. Hershey Penn State Medical Center conducted a study comparing the tolerability of iodine-based oral contrast agents, Omnipaque (iohexol) and Gastroview (meglumine sodium diatrizoate). The purpose of the study was to compare the efficacy and patient acceptance of iohexol verus meglumine sodium diatrozoate for abdominal and pelvic CT scans.

Researchers presented on February 21 at the Abdominal Radiology Course Meeting held by the Society of Gastrointestinal Radiology and The Society of Uroradiology in Orlando.

The study also concluded that:

- There was no statistically significant difference between the two agents in the incidence of adverse reactions.

- The extent and density of GI tract opacification also were similar between the two groups.

- The cost of the two agents is comparable given the current low cost of low osmolar contrast agents.

Scientists at Rice's Laboratory for Nanophotonics added iron chelates (blue) and fluorescent dye (red) to multi-layered gold nanomatryoshkas to create particles that can be used for disease therapy and diagnostics. The "theranostic" nanoparticles have a core of gold (left) that is covered by silica containing the diagnostic iron and dye, which is covered by an outer shell of gold. The particles are about 20 times smaller than a red blood cell, and by varying the thickness of the layers, LANP scientists can tune the nanomatryoshkas to convert light into cancer-killing heat. (Image courtesy of Luke Henderson/Rice University)